76 2. KAHLER-RICCI FLOW
4.2. The normalized Kahler-Ricci fl.ow equation. Let (Mn, J, go)
be a closed Kahler manifold. Now we make the basic assumption (corre-
sponding to the canonical case), holding for the rest of this section and
the next section, that the first Chern class is a real multiple of the Kahler
class, i.e., that
[po]= c [wo]
for some c E R Note that this is possible only if the first Chern class has
a sign, i.e., is negative definite, zero, or positive definite. Comparing (2.11)
and (2.12), we find that c = ~' where r ~ JM Rodμ 90 /Vol 90 (M) is the
average (complex) scalar curvature, so that
r 1
- 2
- [wo] = -
2
- [wo] = -
[po] = c1 (M).
7rn 7r
Sor depends only on the cohomology class [wo], n, and ci (M).
The normalized Kahler-Ricci flow is
(2.29)
The solution of (2.29) can be converted to the solution (2.26) by scaling the
metric and reparametrizing time, and vice versa (see Section 9 .1 in Chapter
6 of Volume One or subsection 9.1 below). Hence, from Lemma 2.36, we
know that the initial-value problem for (2.29) with g (0) =go has a solution
for a short time.
By a derivation similar to that of (2.28), we get the following para-
bolic (scalar) complex Monge-Ampere equation, corresponding to (2.29)
with gai3 (t) = g~i3 + 8a8(3cp (t),
8cp det (g~J + a,,88!.p) r
8t =log detgo_ + -;,,1P - Jo+ c1 (t)
"(8
(2.30)
for some function of time c1 (t). Here Jo is defined by Ra"r3 (go) - ~g~"r3 =
8aB(3Jo; this is possible because [-po+ ~wo] = 0.
4.3. Basic e~olution equations. Let g (t) be a solution of either the
Kahler-Ricci flow or the normalized Kahler-Ricci flow. We define the po-
tential function J = J (t) by
(2.31)
This equation is solvable since [-p + ~w J = 0 and by Lemma 2.26. Note
that J is determined up to an additive constant. Taking the trace of (2.31),
we have
(2.32) R-r = !:::.f.